New York Governor Signs Sexual Harassment Bill Into Law
On August 12, 2019 New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a bill that greatly expands protections for employees and impacts the New York sexual harassment training prevention law going forward. Specifically, the law signed on August 12 changes the standard by which claims of workplace harassment are evaluated by no longer requiring a […]
Governor Pritzker Signs IL Harassment Training Bill into Law
Late on Friday, August 9, 2019, Illinois Governor Pritzker signed SB 75 into law. Among other changes, this law amends the Illinois Human Rights Act to require employers of all sizes to provide annual training on the prevention of sexual harassment in the workplace. The new law takes effect January 1, 2020, and training will […]
Connecticut Harassment Training Requirements Greatly Expand Under New Law
“Your time is up, my time is now.” New Englanders likely recognize the above phrase, which is uttered repeatedly in the entrance music for WWE superstar and New England native John Cena. Ironically, with WWE often associated with misogynistic practices towards its female characters, the phrase takes on new meaning in Connecticut with the advent […]
Is Intolerance Boiling Under the Surface of your LGBTQ Diversity Initiative?
It is encouraging to see a large number of businesses showing enthusiasm for Pride month, when just a few years ago many companies were hesitant to publicly endorse their support for the LGBTQ community out of fear of things like “customer backlash” or “taking a stance.” Many businesses are thankfully no longer afraid to show […]
Illinois Sexual Harassment Training will now be Required: What does an Employer do?
Last week the Illinois General Assembly approved legislation that would require all employers in that state to conduct mandatory sexual harassment training. If signed into law by Illinois Governor Pritzker, this law would take effect on July 1, 2020 and would be the most comprehensive of its kind in the country. Given the substantial implications […]
New York Seeks to Expand Sexual Harassment Laws
In 2018, New York enacted sweeping legislation requiring employers to train nearly all employees that work in that State. While it is likely employers are still scrambling to meet these new requirements, the 2019 legislative session shows no signs of New York slowing down its efforts to eradicate offensive behavior from its workplaces. Lawmakers […]
When It Comes to Harassment Training, One Size Does Not Fit All
As of April 15, 2019, twenty-seven states either have: a. a legislative requirement that some employees receive training on the prevention of unlawful harassment in the workplace or b. proclaimed an administrative or legislative recommendation that harassment training take place among some portion of the jurisdiction’s workforce. New York, California, Connecticut, Maine, Delaware – and […]
Time Is Money: Examining the Length of Harassment Training Courses
Harassment training costs money, both in employee time and actual dollars spent. Because of the significant resources that must be expended to train a workforce on the prevention of workplace harassment employers are understandably looking for the most “bang for the buck” on their investment. While efficiency in training is absolutely critical, there comes a […]
New York City Clarifies Sexual Harassment Training Requirements
Most employers with a connection to New York City are aware that the City (as well as New York State) enacted legislation requiring mandatory, annual sexual harassment training covering nearly all employers (and employees) in the City and State. For the past several months employers have been left scrambling to draw inferences from the subtle […]